Movie review: Margot Robbie shines in bonkers Terminal’

Al Alexander More Content Now

Thursday

May 10, 2018 at 11:21 AMMay 10, 2018 at 11:21 AM

A man who wants to die, a woman who wants to murder him and two bored, bumbling hitmen killing time awaiting their next kill. That’s the enticement of the aptly titled “Terminal,” a neo-noir dramedy from rookie writer-director Vaughn Stein that purposely values highly stylized esthetics over sustenance.

The result is stunningly gorgeous; a mixture of filtered light and looming shadows punctuated with bright, neon colored splotches set against the gray dystopian background of a nearly deserted train station in a dark, nameless city. It’s scrumptious; at least at first, as Stein’s derivative tale of revenge and deceit unfolds in parallel stories revolving around Margot Robbie’s sexy femme fatale, Annie. But as the predictable plot rambles on, losing credibility, your patience starts to wane — yet never to the breaking point.

What holds you is Robbie’s sly, sexy turn as a woman determined to right wrongs that don’t become known until late in the game. What’s clear — from her crimson cloak (think Red Riding Hood) to her ruby lipstick — is her wont for bloodlust. There’s never any doubt she’ll achieve it, but it sure as hell is fascinating watching her creatively facilitate it via a sharp mind, feminine wiles and even sharper implements.

No chump is her match, nor do you expect them to be. Her Annie is always clearly and fully in charge of every situation — and you love her for it. More importantly, Robbie’s not giving anything away about her character’s motivations, as Annie seductively lures presupposed stupid men into her tangled web offering carnal goodies, then beating them to the thrust with her own phallic instruments. Even better is the way Stein’s noirish dialogue rolls off Robbie’s tongue in tantalizing double entendres, like posing as a waitress and offering leering customers a taste of her sticky buns. Or, in the way she makes the sound of the word “naughty” a potent aphrodisiac.

With an actress — and performance — this alluring, Stein knows his convoluted plot need not make sense. Nor does he try. Instead, he simply creates numerous situations for Robbie to work her magic, be it opposite a suicidal English teacher (Simon Pegg) from her past, or in the presence of the hit-men duo of curmudgeonly Vince (Dexter Fletcher from “Kick-Ass”) and adorably handsome Alfred (Max “son of Jeremy” Irons from “The Host”).

How these two plot lines intersect (beyond occurring in and around the train depot), I’m still not sure; same for a third strand involving a creepy, duplicitous station janitor played by a horribly miscast Mike Myers. Nor am I clear on how repeated references to “Alice in Wonderland” and various rabbit motifs fit in. Oh, and there’s also a valise (a la “Pulp Fiction”) carrying mysterious import. Just take my advice and don’t try to figure it out. Rather, just sit back and marvel at the wonders — and the gravitas — of the ravishing Robbie. You’d follow her Annie anywhere, even if the journey ends with a fountain pen jammed into your jugular.

Watching “Terminal” (the title pulled from the bright neon sign atop the train station), you grow convinced that Robbie could easily have given Bacall a run for her money back in her days with Bogie. She has a face — and the lips — that scream noir. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for her four male co-stars, all of whom feel out of place. Pegg fares the best, playing a rueful, terminally ill educator who’d like to end his suffering post haste. But his luck — or is it his determination? — always seems to falter, as it does on this night, when he plans to hurl himself in front of a speeding train — until he learns from Myers’ friendly janitor, Clinton, that the tracks will be empty until morning.

With nowhere else to go, Pegg’s Bill ends up in the depot’s diner, where he finds a welcoming ear in Robbie’s waitress. But for some unknown reason, she encourages him to do himself in instead of talking him out of it. At the same time, Vince and Alfred are anticipating their next assignment, an edgy wait that lands them — like Bill — in Annie’s diner. Where Alfred hits it off with her, Vince quickly acquires a serious distaste for her lascivious come-ons to his love-struck partner. This can’t end well, which we already know knowing that “Terminal” is deeply wedded to the tropes of film noir. And Stein does a terrific job emulating it. To what goal, though? Let’s just say it’s a riddle. His characters may oft repeat the phrase, “the art of mystery is not lost,” but here, it’s precariously close to requiring life support.